


Think of me

by BlackSmile



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Beast Wirt, Greg is an adult, M/M, Modern Era, Mystery, Not Beta Read, Returning to the Unknown, Sibling Love, The Unknown (Over the Garden Wall), greg's parents mentioned, sorta - Freeform, the fluffly kind
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-12
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-02-01 12:12:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12704760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackSmile/pseuds/BlackSmile
Summary: „Please, you’re my only hope!“Dipper eyed the man warily. He was in his late twenties and just showed up today, almost besieging him with questions. It got to the point of creepy, how persistent he was. Maybe he really was telling the truth…Finally Dipper gave a sigh, „Fine, come in.“ and held the door open.After all, what kind of paranormal investigator could he be, to turn down a desperate man who claimed his brother didn’t drown nineteen years ago, but was stuck in limbo where people turned into trees?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends!   
> I've been super obsessed with Pinescone lately and here you can see where that leads me... Let me know what you think so far!
> 
> Greg is 27 in this story while Mabel and Dipper are 15

Greg liked to say he didn’t remember a lot from that night. It was easier. People believed it and stopped asking. He wished it was the truth.

_„Mommy?“ Greg stirred in the unfamiliar bed. He was sure he had heard mommy. But he had been out with Wirt, what was mommy doing here?_   
_There was a soft hand on his cheek. „Yes baby, I’m here.“ Something in mommy’s voice wasn’t right._   
_Greg opened his eyes and saw her face. Her eyes were red, her cheeks wet. „Why are you crying, mommy?“_

Obviously because she had gotten a call from the hospital that her sons had been found half drowned. No parent should ever get a call from the hospital, telling them that harm had come to their child.

_„You’re okay now, sweetie. You’re okay.“ Mommy kissed his head again and again._   
_„Where’s daddy?“_   
_„He is talking to the Doctor right now. If you’re lucky you can come home with us tonight.“_   
_„What about Wirt?“_   
_There was silence. Greg had been young, but not too young to not understand what that meant. He started crying. „What about Wirt?“ He asked again, burying his nose in his mothers shoulder._   
_„He’ll be fine, I’m very sure.“ Mommy whispered, crying._

_Daddy came into the room later. He has been crying too. He and mommy left the room, leaving Greg alone. Feeling sad, he hugged his frog. When they returned Daddy sat down next to him. „Hey my brave man, how are you feeling?“_   
_„I’m fine. How’s Wirt?“_   
_„The Doctors are looking after him, he’ll be fine.“_   
_„Can I talk to him?“_   
_Mommy and Daddy exchanged a look, then Daddy took his hand. „I’m sure we can go visit him.“_   
_„Great!“ Greg threw the blanket away and put Jason Funderburker on his head. „Let’s go to Wirt!“_   
_Daddy took his hand and they walked out of the room, down the hallway. When they stood in an elevator, Greg suddenly realized how tired he was. He just kept yawning and his eyelids were so heavy… Daddy picked him up. „Hey little soldier, do you want to go back to bed?“_   
_„Wirt first, then bed.“ Greg gave another big yawn._   
_Daddy hesitated, but nodded. „Okay, if you insist.“_   
_They walked some more until they stopped in front of a door where Daddy looked at him. „Gregory, before we see Wirt, you must promise me something.“_   
_„Of course! What is it?“_   
_Daddy sat him down on a chair and knelt to eye height. „You see, Wirt is very, very tired right now. That’s why he’s asleep and will not wake up when we go inside. There are some scary machines in the room too, but they are helping him sleep. You must promise to be quiet and not wake your brother, alright?“_   
_Greg nodded. „Yes, sir!“ and gave a salute._   
_Daddy nodded too and took his hand. They walked to the door. Daddy opened the door and walked inside. Wirt really looked very tired. His skin looked paler than usual, he seemed to sink into the bed. There was a tube in his mouth._   
_„Daddy, why is there a tube in his mouth?“_   
_„It’s helping him to breathe.“_   
_„Oh.“ Greg climbed onto the bed next to his brother and took his hand. It felt very cold. „Don’t you worry, brother o’ mine. You’ll be just fine.“ He gave his hand a few pats before Daddy picked him up again. Greg remembered yawning against his shoulder, then he was asleep._

He had not gone home that night. The doctors had kept him there for observation. Not that there was much to observe about an eight year old sleeping twelve hours. He hadn’t seen his parents the next day. His aunt from two towns over had suddenly stood in his room, announcing he was staying with her. He had liked aunt Janice, still did, and a kid didn’t question sudden sleepovers. It wasn’t until two days later when his father came to pick him up, that he started to suspect something bad was going on.

_„Did you have a good time?“ Daddy asked as he buckled him in._   
_„Yes! Aunt Janice made apple pie!“_   
_„Did she now? She makes great apple pies.“ Daddy smiled and started the car._   
_„Is Wirt still at the hospital? Can we go see him?“_   
_Daddy turned on the radio._

_Mommy was crying on the phone when they came home. When she spotted them, she quickly wiped her tears away. „-cuse me, my youngest just came home, I will call back later.“ she ended the phone call. She tried to smile. „Hey Gregory.“_   
_„Mommy, what’s going on? Where’s Wirt?“_   
_She sat down and pulled him on her lap. „Baby, I need you to be really strong now.“ She was about to cry again, Greg knew. „Wirt is… He was so brave and strong, he pulled you out of that river. He saved your life.“_   
_„Mommy, what do you mean?“_   
_„Two nights ago, Wirt… he- He was just so tired that he just fell asleep…“_   
_„But he already was asleep when we visited him.“_   
_„Not that sleep, Gregory. The sleep you never wake up from. Like Grandma Rosie fell asleep last year.“_

That had been the moment the numbness had set it. Then sadness. Then despair. Until he cried himself to sleep. The funeral had been a week later. They didn’t show the body. There was just a box that they cried over. Just a box they buried in the ground. His parents took him to see a therapist soon after. And that had been his life for a while.   
Until he woke up one night to see a dark figure standing at the feet of his bed. „Gregory.“ it had whispered. „Help me.“ it had pleaded.  
Of course he had recognized Wirt immediately. Overjoyed he had jumped from his blankets, but just as suddenly as he had come, he was gone again and Greg had been left alone in an empty room.

_„Mommy! Mommy!“ Greg came jumping down the stairs._   
_„Well someone’s in a good mood today.“ Mommy smiled at him. There was still a sadness in her eyes, but surely it would go away when he told her the great news._   
_„I saw Wirt tonight!“_   
_Immediately her face fell and her smile became forced. „Oh, you dreamt of him?“_   
_„No, I saw him! He was in my room!“_   
_„Greg, please, this is not suitable for jokes.“_   
_„But he was, mommy, he talked to me!“_   
_„Greg, that’s enough! Go eat your breakfast!“ She thundered._   
_He flinched a little. „Yes, mommy.“_

_„I think he’s back in the Unknown.“ Greg said that afternoon when he watched TV._   
_Mommy didn’t answer, so he kept talking._   
_„That’s where we were when we fell into the river. We met a bird, Beatrice, well, actually she was a human, but she was a bird when we met her. And there was Adelaide, a really mean old lady, but Beatrice turned her into smoke! And the woodsman, we thought he was evil, but it turned out he was just trying to help his daughter. The Beast was the evil one though! He tried to turn me into a tree!“_

When he had told his therapist this thought, she had nodded and written something down. Pet his hair and told him what a brave boy he was. And it had been okay for a while. The therapist had listened to his stories of the Unknown.   
Until he got older. That’s when he heard the whispers behind his back.   
„Poor boy.“   
„Overactive imagination.“   
„Delusions.“   
„Trauma.“  
Until he had understood that nobody believed him. So he had decided to take matters into his own hands.

Greg started reading. Books on the paranormal, spirits, witchcraft and magic. Hells, Heavens, Demons. Every book he could get his hands on, he consumed.   
His parents became worried, they signed him up for sports, social activities. It all ended the same way, he ditched them to go back to reading. Soon as his friends stopped talking to him.   
„Freak.“ They would whisper behind his back.   
„He’s obsessed.“ He had heard a teacher say.  
„Poor parents, now they’re loosing their second child.“ An older student told his friend, looking straight at him.   
Greg had shrugged it all off and turned his attention back to the book at hand. Maybe in this one there would be something helpful.   
There wasn’t, there never was anything helpful in any books.

Some days, Greg had questioned his own sanity. Sitting in his room, staring at the mountains of books, long overdue to bring back to the library. Maybe Wirt really was dead? Maybe the cold and exhaustion from that night had been too much, and his body had just given up the fight? But then he would feel it again, every single time. A tug in his chest, a calling from far beyond. And then he would know, he _knew_. Wirt was still out there, somewhere. He needed his help.

At the age of 15 Greg had tried to reach out the first time.   
_„Wirt? Are you there?“ He asked into his empty room, communication board under his fingertips. „It’s me, Greg. Mom and Dad say you are dead, but I don’t believe it.“_  
 _There was no answer._  
 _„Fifteen really is an awkward age, isn’t it? I’m sorry for screwing things up like I did. I really was just your dumb baby brother, wasn’t I?“ He chuckled humorless. „I miss you. Can’t believe I would ever say that. But I do, I really do. It’s… empty. The house feels emptier without you.“_  
 _Nothing._  
 _„Talk to me. Please!“ Greg felt tears swell up in his eyes._  
 _No answer._  
 _Now it made sense. How could Wirt’s spirit have talked to him, if he wasn’t dead? Now he understood, he hadn’t back then._

The day Greg had finished high school, he had left home. Far, far away from that place. From the horrible whispers behind his back, from the frightened stares of children.   
The years had passed like days. Greg never found a way to help his brother. Many nights he would sit on his bed, stare at the wall and know how he had failed. He was the only one who could’ve helped his brother. And he had failed.  
Until one rainy afternoon he stumbled across an article hidden in the depths of the internet. _Paranormal investigator_. It said. Of course he had reached out to plenty of those. All of them had been frauds. But at that moment, he had been at his wits end.   
With a sigh he opened his mail. _Just this one more_. He swore to himself. _Just this one and if it fails, I will quit. I will let the past rest. I will let Wirt rest._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two, yay!! Thank you lovely people for reading this!

This summer at the Shack was as ordinary as it got. Unpaid work at the gift shop, covering for exhibits and the seasonal gnome invasion. Maybe a lost eyebat or two.

Dipper sighed as he shooed out the squirrel from his bedroom. Last year, Mabel had claimed the room downstairs. Puberty stuff. Dipper woke up to the smell of blood once in the middle of night and almost had a heart attack, while his sister just shuffled to the bathroom half asleep. He also was happy to have privacy for… late night activities. Hey, he was a teen, what else could you expect?

The attic room was covered in pages, theories, boards, everything he couldn’t keep in his mind he wrote down and pinned to the walls. Dipper was just about to close the door when he heard Stan yell to „come down here, tourists approaching“.

„Urgh.“ Dipper sighed again. Time for another round of spooking little children and selling overpriced stuff to adults. „Coming.“ he yelled back and shuffled down the stairs. 

 

Sure enough, a bus had just stopped outside the Shack and the first excited kids came running out, soon enough followed by their parents. Dipper frowned when he spotted a man in the crowd. He was alone, not that this was unusual, but he seemed… lost. Standing on his own, looking around as if he was searching for something. Then he spotted Dipper and walked straight to him. „Are you Dipper Pines?“ 

„Uhm… yeah?“

„Oh thank god.“ He extended his hand. „My name is Gregory Wren. I read about you on the internet and-„

Dipper carefully took a step back. He had this kind of encounters before. The last one ended with a restraining order. „Sorry man, whatever it is, I can’t help you.“

„No! Please, hear me out!“ The man, Gregory, pleaded. 

„Go read a book about it, it will be better than whatever I can offer.“

„I tried! I tried everything. Please, you’re my last resort!“ For a moment his shoulders sagged. He looked exhausted. 

Slowly Dipper nodded. „Okay. Come in, tell me your tale.“

Gregory looked at him with pure relief in his eyes. „Thank you! Thank you so much!“

Closing the door behind them, Dipper wondered how badly this would affect his life. 

 

„Okay, let me see if I got this right.“ Dipper rubbed his aching temples. „Nineteen years ago you and your brother fell into a river and entered some kind of afterlife.“

„The Unknown. That’s what everyone we met called it.“

„Okay. Then you defeated the… Beast? And after you woke up in the hospital. Your parents told you, that’s where your brother died. But you didn’t believe that.“

„I still don’t. I saw him, I still feel him.“

Dipper groaned. „Okay.“ He sighed. „Okay. This is a lot to take in.“

Gregory “please call me Greg“ nodded patiently. „I understand.“

„Look, I’m not saying I don’t believe you. I do, but this is completely new to me.“ He stopped and seemed to think. „Can you come back tomorrow? Around noon. I need some time for research.“ 

„Of course! Thank you!“ Greg seemed to almost glow with relief. If he truly had been on this for almost two decades, this must be the furthest he’s ever gotten.

Dipper felt bad for him. He couldn’t imagine what kind of strain had been on him, what fail after fail after fail must’ve done to him. At least his mental state seemed to be stable. 

 

The next day Dipper was sitting in the living room, surrounded by his research. As Greg had said, there was little to no evidence anywhere. Even Ford hadn’t been any help. At half past eleven there was a knock on the door.

„Mabel, can you get that?“ Dipper yelled without looking up. 

Another knock followed, but his sister nowhere to be found. 

With a groan he lifted himself from the floor and stepped over a mountain of books. He was greeted by an anxious man on the other side of the door. 

„Hi Dipper, sorry, I’m early.“ Greg had bags under his eyes and a notebook under his arm. Probably didn’t get a lot of sleep either. 

„Yes, you are. Come in.“ Dipper waved him in and walked back into the living room. Greg followed him closely, then stopped and walked back to close the front door. Yep, definitely didn’t get enough sleep. 

„Have a seat.“ Dipper offered and cleaned the armchair of papers. 

„Thanks.“ Greg smiled and sat down. „So, did you find anything?“ He asked, his knees hopping up and down.

„I-„ Dipper bit his lip. „I don’t want to crush your hopes, but…“

His smile fell. „Oh… I understand.“ 

„But I found some things.“

Immediately his eyes lit up again. „Oh Dipper, you have no idea how much this means to me!“

„Oh, I think I have an idea.“ Dipper smiled and fished a paper out of the sea around him. „I found a journal entry from a 19th century merchant. He claimed to have been lost in a labyrinth like manor after falling sick with the smallpox. Said he fell in love with a woman from another time there. His name was…“ Dipper squinted to identify the name. „Endicott.“

Greg sat up straighter like he’d been zapped. „Quincy Endicott?“

„Yeah? Have you heard of him?“ 

„I knew him! We met him!“

„…In the Unknown?“ Dipper asked carefully.

„Yes! I remember him!“ Greg slid down onto the floor. „The women was… Grey, I don’t remember her first name. But she was a merchant too!“

„Hang on a second.“ Feeling the familiar rush of mystery, Dipper grabbed his laptop and started typing. After a few minutes he yelled in triumph. „Margueritte Grey! Noble Lady, born 1746 in France. Got into an accident in her carriage and died a few days later due to the injuries.“

„Look for a Lorna.“

„Lorna?“ Dipper reset his search.

„She was possessed by a demon.“

„What age?“

„Uh… maybe 17?“

„The year, what year do you think she was from?“

„Oh.“ Greg stopped to think. „Probably 15th or 16th century, possibly from a puritan family.“

Dipper typed it all away without thinking. Scanning source after source until he struck gold. „Lorna Reed!“ His face fell as he continued reading. „Accused of witchcraft, sentenced to death by hanging.“

They both sat quiet for a while, the uncomfortable silence hanging above them until Dipper turned his eyes back to the page. „She was poisoned a day before she should hang.“ His face lit up again. „She survived and fled back to England where she lived with her aunt!“

„Auntie Whispers!“ Greg chuckled relieved. 

„Any more people that you know?“ Dipper got giddy and tapped the keys. 

Greg closed his eyes and leaned his head back. „There was the woodsman… I never knew his name. Adelaide, Miss Langtree… Oh, Beatrice!“

„Beatrice? Do you have any last name?“

„No…“

„Any time period?“

„No.“

„What did her clothes look like?“

„I don’t know! She was a bird!“

Dipper hesitated. „A bird?“

„Yes… that sounds crazy, doesn’t it?“

„Yes.“

„That’s all I know! She told Wirt how she threw a rock at a bluebird which resorted into her whole family being turned into one!“

„Maybe that’s something to search for.“ Dipper grinned and turned back to his laptop. Surprisingly there were many tales of people cursed to be animals. Apparently there was a famous book about a guy who turned into a bug… People had the weirdest ideas. Due to lack of informative basis this search took way longer than the other until Greg stopped him and clicked on a sketch portraying a regency family. 

„ _‚The forgotten disaster of the Pygott family.‘_ “ He read the headline. 

„It’s by a student. Must’ve been something for a project.“ Dipper mumbled and opened the site in full screen. „ _‚I recently found out about a great disaster that struck this family in the late regency era. The Pygott family was a peasant family, working as millers outside a now distinct town in Ireland. It was known as the village of the bluebirds, for huge swarms of them would come twice each year. The villagers saw them as good luck and fed them, at some point even celebrated their arrival. The Pygott family was preparing for one such celebration when due to unknown reason their mill caught fire.‘_ Greg, maybe this isn’t such a good idea.“ Dipper looked at him.

„No! Keep reading!“ Greg urged him. 

Breathing through his mouth Dipper nodded. „Okay.  _‚There were no survivors. The family of twelve burned with their mill. It is said, that ever since, no bluebirds have been sighted.‘_ “

Greg closed his eyes and let his shoulders sag. „Wings to escape their fate. Maybe that’s why she was a bird.“

Uncertain of what to say, the teenager put a hand on the other’s shoulder. „I’m sorry.“

„No, it’s okay. I knew she was dead, I just didn’t think it would be so… such an awful death.“ Greg shook his head slightly. „I just wish I had had the idea to look for the people.“ He recomposed himself and looked at Dipper. „So? Do you have an idea?“ 

„I might, but… it will be some awful research.“

„I don’t mind.“

„Okay, so it appears that the Unknown is some sort of limbo, a place to be decided between life and death.“  
„Purgatory?“

„Not really… More like a multi-religious thing.“

They sat in silence, both their heads smoking while running high. „But you said your brother died. Actually dead. He should not be in limbo.“ Dipper finally concluded.

„I… I don’t know.“ 

„I might have an idea how you can see your brother.“

Gregs head snapped up. „How?“

„You might not like it…“


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi dudes! We're heading back into the Unknown in this!  
> I also threw in a Mabel because it felt like the chapter really needed some Mabel

Greg nodded. „I will do it.“  
„Look, you really don’t have to. It was just an idea.“ Dipper tapped his fingers on the table nervously.   
„I think it’s quite the wonderful idea, my boy.“ Ford argued, preparing in the background.  
„I want to do it.“ Greg agreed.   
With a heavy sigh Dipper nodded. „Okay. Five Minutes. No more.“  
„Let’s go with four. He’s slightly overweight.“  
„Grunkle Ford, he’s sitting right here!“ Dipper hissed.  
„It’s okay, I’m aware.“ Greg chuckled.  
Ford wiped down the table. „Please lie down and make your arm free.“  
Greg did as he was told while Dipper watched nervously. „Shouldn’t he sign like a non-disclosure thing?“  
„He basically did the second he entered the Mystery Shack. Have you never seen the signs my brother puts up outside?“ Ford chuckled.  
Before Dipper could say anything, his great-uncle turned to his volunteering test-subject. „I will inject this poison into your bloodstream. Your heart will stop within one minute. As soon as it does, Dipper will start the timer. We will reanimate you after five-„  
„Four.“  
„Four, thank you Dipper, minutes. Find out what you can during that time.“  
Greg nodded. „Okay. I’m ready.“  
Ford returned the nod and inserted the needle into his arm. Immediately his gaze went to the screen, currently showing his patients healthy heartbeat. Soon it started to flatter and finally stopped. „Start the timer, now!“

Almost immediately Greg found himself standing in a forest. Feelings hit him like fists into his stomach and he had to stop and remind himself how to breathe. It actually worked. He was back in the Unknown! He could’ve cried of joy, but quickly remembered why he was here. Time passed differently here, but he still could not waste any. So he started walking. With no directions he just walked. Walked and walked until the sun slowly disappeared behind the far horizon. Finally he found something. A tree stump leaking oil. He crouched down next to it and carefully touched it. Not that he had any experience as a woodsman, but it seemed fresh. So someone was still going around cutting down Edelwood. Did the Beast survive? Oh god, was he still out there?  
Greg stumbled back, frantically looking around. There was no one around. No person, no Beast. He forced his breath to normal. The woodsman had blown out the lantern. The Beast had died. Someone probably had just cut this tree down in search for fire wood.  
Forcing a deep breath Greg straightened his back. Well, at least proof of other people. He decided to follow the drag marks on the forest floor. Whoever had carried this tree must’ve been very strong. Or probably just had a horse. Greg briefly paused to ponder about Fred. Had he been a human like Beatrice? Where did he fit in?  
Just a few minutes after Greg found the tree. Or more like what was left of it. All that was left was the trunk, all the branched hacked off and gone. Whoever was at work here was fast and efficient. And surely not far.  
„Hello!“ Greg called into the forest. „I know you’re there. Come out, I just want to talk.“  
There was no answer, so he sat down on the trunk. „Look, I don’t have a lot of time and I really need some information. Why are you chopping Edelwood?“  
„I need it.“ A voice behind him answered.   
With a yelp Greg jumped back and stared at a shadowy figure, bleeding into the background and the trees. It leaned what probably was his head to the side. „You need information. Ask.“  
All liquid left Greg’s mouth as he recognized the voice. „Wirt.“ The name felt unfamiliar and yet so achingly comforting on his lips.   
There was no answer. The figure, Wirt, Greg was sure it was Wirt, just kept staring at him.  
„You chopped this tree?“ Greg tried again, feeling his heart race in his chest.   
„Yes.“   
„Because you need it?“  
„Yes.“ Again. There was no emotion in the voice. It sounded… dead. Empty.  
„For the lantern?“  
A short hesitation. „Yes.“  
Greg licked his dry lips. „Are you the Beast?“  
There was silence. Greg feared he might’ve angered him. But then. „The entity that was known as The Beast is no longer.“  
„Then what are you?“ Greg urged.  
Silence. Wirt never liked labels. „They call me the Guardian.“  
„Guardian?“  
„Yes.“  
„Why?“  
„I guard the forest.“  
Greg missed his awkward and stuttering brother. This didn’t feel right. „But you are human.“  
There was no answer. He simply stood there, almost as if he was thinking. „I am the Guardian.“ He finally said.

It felt like hooks in his skin yanked him back and Greg awoke with a gasp. There was a bright light shining and he squinted.   
„Welcome back to the land of the living.“ A man above him said and the light was turned away.  
Oh yes, Dipper Pines. Greg felt like he had woken from a very confusing dream. „How long was I gone?“  
„Four minutes and three seconds.“ The teenager answered, staring at him eagerly. „So?“  
„I… I found him. I think.“  
„That’s great news! If he’s in the Unknown there is a way to save him!“ When Greg didn’t answer Dipper hesitated. „Right?“

„He did not recognize me.“ Greg clutched the cup in his hands, staring blankly into the tea.   
„Did you notice anything different about him?“ Dippers fingers were itching to write something down. A brand new mystery, oh, this was so exciting to him!  
Greg gave a humorless laugh. „Everything. He… I don’t think he’s aged at all. He was like… a shadow? No, more like shrouded into shadow? I don’t know!“ With a frustrated groan Greg put the cup on the table.   
„Let’s start from the beginning. You were in the Unknown?“ Stanford Pines was already writing in his journal.   
„Yes. It was just as I remembered it.“  
„An endless forest?“ Dipper asked. „That’s what you said to me, right?“  
Greg merely nodded, then added. „Wirt just appeared.“  
„You’re saying you did not hear him approach?“  
„No, he just was there! Like he materialized!“  
The teenager and man across from him exchanged a look and went back to scribbling.   
Ford was the next to question him. „Were there any distinct features about him?“  
„Like I said, he was more shadow than human.“ Greg furrowed his brows. It all seemed so fuzzy. „But I think it was more like a disguise.“  
„Did you see his eyes?“  
„No.“ Greg answered hesitantly. This was a question he had not expected. „If I could go ba-„   
Ford interrupted him immediately. „No way. You just survived a lethal toxin dose. We need test to see when we can try again. _If_ we can try again.“  
Something in the man’s voice left no room for dispute, so Greg grabbed his mug and drank the tea.

„Hey Nerds!“   
So there was this fabled Mabel Greg had heard so much about already.  
Dipper groaned as he was assaulted by a gigantic stuffed bear. „Mabel, seriously?“  
But her attention span had already ended and found something new interesting. Greg.  
„Uh, hello there handsome, how are you doing?“ The girl in a sparkling pink sweater elbowed him and winked.  
Immediately Greg felt his blood shoot to his face. There was a teenage girl hitting on him. A teenage girl. Hitting on him. This was the scenario of distant terrible futures, not the very real present.   
„Mabel, leave him alone.“ As if on cue Dipper had shoved the bear of nightmares off of him and pulled his twin away from his guest.   
„Aren’t you gonna introduce us at least?“ With a punt Mabel looked at Dipper.  
Knowing that giving in was the fastest way of loosing her interest, Dipper complied. „Greg, this is my sister Mabel. Mabel, this is Greg.“  
„We’re twins!“ She added.   
„Yes, I… I kinda noticed.“ Greg stood awkwardly, watching the teens interact. They actually did look very much alike. Unlike him and Wirt… They were more opposites than anything. Greg still remembered his brother as skinny and lanky, while growing up he gained more weight than shedding it and still had to stretch to reach the top shelf. They were only half brothers after all…   
„So you doing demon stuff?“ Mabels question tore him back into reality.  
„Uhm… kinda? We’re just trying to get my brother back.“ Greg shrugged. Demons. Where did she get that idea?  
„A mystery? Bro bro, why didn’t you tell me?“   
„We were busy today!“ Dipper tried to explain, but it was already obvious that Mabel didn’t believe him.   
„You hung out in the basement with Ford, that’s what you did!“   
„Look Mabel, we barely know anything ourselves. I promise I will tell you when we’ve got something.“  
„I’ll remember that!“ And gone was the whirlwind that was Dippers sister. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you lovely people out there,  
> I'm sorry this chapter is so late. There is a lot of stuff going on in my life right now and I need to figure out where all of this is going. Therefor this story will the paused for an unknown amount of time. I'm sorry, but I think you will all understand.  
> Until then, I wish you a merry christmas, happy hanukka and all else there is!

The forest of the Unknown was quiet. Only few birds were nestling here, even in the peak of summer their songs were but a distant echo. The Guardian stood and listened. Not only to the birds, but also the trees, the flowers, the worms and bugs under the surface. Everything that lived he knew of. He was their Guardian. Even the humans from the settlements respected him and his domain. They never strayed far, and if they did, they either found their way back or perished. The Guardian had no hand in this. He did what was intended by nature. Such was the law of the forest.  
However lately there have been… disturbances. The Guardian didn’t like disturbances. He didn’t like when things did not follow the law of the forest.   
It had started small. Leaves scattered where they shouldn’t be. Trees groaning at the wrong time. Branches bending at odd angles. Wind howling in different tones.  
The Guardian stood and listened. Above a bird landed, the branch bending slightly under it’s weight. Somewhere a rabbit stirred the greenery, shuffling through the leaves.   
With barely any sound the Guardian started moving, moving deeper into the forest. Then there had been that human. Appeared and disappeared like most. He had not been a resident of the Unknown and yet there had been something… _familiar_ about him. Slowly the Guardian shook his head. _One of these faces_. As the villagers would say.  
He was the Guardian, as he had always been and always would be. Content with peace in his mind, he kept walking.

Time was a concept the Guardian was unfamiliar with. Thus he could not say how many days it took until the human appeared again. He looked confused at first, then rubbed his temples and looked around.   
„Guardian?“ he called. „Come out, I want to talk to you.“  
What a curious human indeed. They barely came here twice, and if they did, they certainly did not call for him.  
„Guardian!“ The human called again.   
He stepped out of the trees and approached with care. Who knew what this curious human was capable of. The Guardian was also unfamiliar with fear, or any emotion for that matter. Still, a tug in his body told him to be careful.   
The human saw him and immediately let his guard down. „Guardian! I have come to talk to you.“  
He nodded. An unusual request. But safe enough.  
„Okay.“ Nodding and taking a deep breath the human continued. „How long have you been here?“  
„Always.“  
The human looked disappointed. „I mean, what do you remember before you were here?“  
„I have always been here.“  
„Okay.“ He reached inside his pocket and pulled out something that looked like a picture. Carefully he approached and handed it to him.  
The Guardian crooked his head slightly as he viewed it. Two children. Rather intimate, probably family. They smiled happily at him.   
„Do you recognize it?“ The human asked carefully.   
The Guardian did not answer. All that came naturally to him suddenly seemed hard. His heart thundering in his ears, his lungs unwilling to accept to air. And he did not know why. Everything seemed to tighten around him, his vision swimming. His hands started shaking. _Fear._  
Dropping the picture as if it had burned him, the Guardian fled into the woods.

Many days had passed until the Guardian finally dared to step back onto the clearing again. Too much had been inside his head since the second encounter with the human. Flashes of memories that could not be his own. The cold creeping into his body at night. Sadness deep inside his bones. And still he did not know why. He did not understand.   
It scared him. That was the conclusion he finally got to. He was scared.  
When he stepped outside the shade of the trees, he saw the human once again. He was sitting on a trunk. When he noticed him, he stood up and tried to smile. The picture again in his hand. „Hello.“ He greeted.  
The Guardian nodded in acknowledgment.  
„I’m… sorry for last time. I did not mean to startle you.“  
„What is the purpose of this?“   
The human seemed taken back by his sudden question. „I… I want to help you.“  
„What makes you think I need help?“ A deep burning feeling arose inside him. „Who do you think you are to question the law of the forest?“  
Perhaps frightened the human took a step back. „My name is Greg.“ He took a shaky breath. „I first came here when I was eight. My brother was with me. I got out, but he did not. He is still here somewhere. Wirt, I know you’re still here.“ He sobbed, tears starting to fall out of his eyes.   
A stranger force started to guide the Guardians hand as it slowly reached towards the human. Kind, inviting, reaching out to take his hand. Flashes burned inside his head. _Halloween._   
As if he’d been punched the Guardian stumbled back with a gasp.   
_The graveyard._  
His legs buckled underneath him.  
 _The train._  
Shaking the Guardian looked up, only to be met with a horrified expression by the human who stepped backwards, hands clasped over his mouth.   
_Greg._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends, I'm back! Sorry to leave you alone for such a long time, but like I said, I had to figure out some stuff that was going on in my life.  
> But now I'm back! And with a new chapter! I literally just finished writing it, so if you find any spelling issues, you're welcome to keep them <3

Greg could not stop shaking. Gently Dipper took the mug out of his hands, more of the content had been spilled than actually consumed.

„What happened?“ He tried asking again, as soft as he could manage. 

But still, the other could not answer. He simply sat there, staring ahead and shaking.

Helpless Dipper looked towards his great uncle who just shrugged in response, looking just as lost as he felt. When they had brought back Greg, he had sat up like a lightning bolt and screamed. Then he had started shaking and stopped responding. So they had ended up in the kitchen, trying all they could to calm Greg down. But so far nothing seemed to work. 

Whatever had happened in the Unknown, Dipper and Ford had agreed not to send Greg back. They had pushed their luck from the very beginning with these experiments and now they had the consequence in front of them. 

Greg suddenly took a deep breath. „He- He…“ With a shudder he released his clenched fists. 

Once again Dipper sat down next to him. „What happened?“ He asked carefully.

„Vines.“ Greg breathed. „Roots. All over him.“

„You mean… they grew on him?“ He placed a light hand on his shoulder.

„No. They grew out of him. _Fed on him._ “

There was a moment of silence until Ford spoke again. „Do he seem like himself to you?“

Confused Greg looked at him. „I- I guess. I showed him the picture again. He suddenly seemed… he seemed frozen. And then he collapsed. That’s when the shadows lifted and-„ Greg choked on his own words and shuddered. „I saw him.“ He gripped Dippers wrist just a little too hard. „Dipper, I _saw_ him. He was wearing the same clothes. But the vines… They… Everywhere… All over…“

Dipper and Ford exchanged a look. The latter indicated with a head motion to talk outside the room. Once outside of earshot, Dippers mouth tried to catch up to his brain. „So he recognized him, therefore it’s still him in this body. I’m not sure why the vines. Maybe some sort of possession the managed to break free from? He’s been there for nineteen years though, I don’t know how much of human there is still in him. It can’t be the Beast, since Greg told us they defeated him. Could it be possible he survived and is possessing Wirt? Can this Beast possess people? According to Greg he had a physical body, so there is no reason for him to possess someone. Unless of course blowing out the lantern simply killed his body and his spirit kept on wandering. But being possessed by such a powerful entity would-„

„Dipper.“

A single word from Ford made him shut up immediately and look at him expectedly. 

„Now that we know that is indeed a human and not something else, we must find a way to bring him over into our reality.“

„But we can’t send Greg again, how will we reach him?“ Dipper looked to his Uncle who looked straight back at him. Suddenly he realized. „No no no no, nope, no way, no no no.“

„Dipper, I don’t like this either…“ Ford’s features turned soft and he knelt down. „We can’t send Gregory back. And if I go… I trust you Dipper, but you still are just a teenager and someone mature needs to overview this.“

Dipper opened his mouth to protest, but then his brain listed every other person in proximity and immediately his mouth shut itself. 

„And if I don’t do it?“ he asked silently.

„Then we either sign Gregory’s death certificate or abandon this all together.“

 

_We made a deal_

„I know.“

_You think of breaking it_

„No!“

_I can see your thoughts, don’t try to lie to me_

„…“

_You agreed_

„Yes.“

_You won’t abandon me_

„No.“

_You’re still thinking about it_

„I don’t remember seeing into my head being part of the deal.“

_Does i matter now_

_You belong to me_

_Never forget that_

„…no.“

_Good boy_


	6. Chapter 6

Dipper awoke to what felt like a punch in the stomach. He coughed and gasped until he felt alright again. He was lying on the ground. There were treetops above, hard ground underneath. A forest. He made it.   
With a little groan Dipper stood up and looked around. As far as he could see there was only forest. Just like Greg had told them.   
„Alright.“ He patted his jacket down until he found the video camera and took it out. It flickered for a bit, but then lit up and started recording immediately. „I made it. I’m in a forest. There’s only forest as far as I can see. I will walk…“ Dipper paused and looked around. There were no landmarks, no faraway spot to walk towards to. „I will walk just straight ahead and see where it takes me.“ He concluded and proceeded to do just that.   
It was eerie silent as he stepped through he undergrowth and he felt like being watched. Of course, having spent as much time in Gravity Falls as he had, that wasn’t an unusual occurrence. But this felt different than being stalked by gnomes or an invisible wizard. It felt deliberate. Like something wanted him to notice it. Dipper stopped mid step and listened. Still, not a sound. He turned around. Forest. Nothing but Forest all around and with no conceivable end.   
Dipper turned back around and yelped when he found himself face to face with a shadowy Being. There was no more time to react as it grasped his face and growled in a deep voice. _„We do not want you here. We do not want you meddling with our affairs.“_   
And as soon as it had appeared, it was gone again. Without making any sound. Dipper shuddered and forced himself to breathe calmly. Whatever that had been, it certainly wasn’t the same as Greg’s brother. He still felt the Entity’s hands on his cheeks and suddenly realized they hurt. Carefully he lifted his own and felt a something wet. How in the world had that thing pierced his skin with nothing but it’s hands?  
With shaking hands he took the camera out again and made sure to record his injuries. „I saw… something. Not sure if it was Wirt. It.. attacked me? Well, it just grasped me, but I’m bleeding. Not sure what that’s about. Still waiting for my heart to calm down. I will keep walking.“  
And so he did. Just kept walking ahead stubbornly until he felt like he was being watched again. Immediately he raised his guard like Ford had taught him, but when the Being appeared this time, it was several feet away from him. Two bright eyes gazed at him and a soft voice spoke. „I’m sorry.“

Dipper awoke with a gasp and a pair of strong hands on his arms.  
„Dipper, Dipper! Can you hear me?“ A male voice urged.   
He groaned in response and sat up. „Greg, I’m so sorry. This is awful.“  
A chuckle responded accompanied by a warm hand on his own. „What did you find?“

The footage was blurry, contorted and with pieces missing. But it was there and that was a good thing. They watched it several times until it picked up the last second before Dipper had been reanimated. The Guardian, suddenly appearing and looking straight at the recorder. Dipper felt himself shudder, it felt as if it was still watching him, even through the screen.   
Deep silence hung over the room. While Dipper had seen nothing but a shadow, the camera had picked up the entity shrouded within. A human boy in a silly costume. Vines twisting around his long limbs. Heavy antlers of wood growing out of his skull. Dark sap leaking out of his eyes and nose and mouth.   
Greg started sobbing silently. Dipper and Ford shared a look. This was gonna take a lot more research than any of them anticipated.

„It’s the Beast.“ Greg whispered, making Dipper look up from his laptop which he’d been furiously typing on previously.   
„What makes you think that?“   
The young man lifted his head and looked at the other with red rimmed eyes. „I know it. I’ve seen it. We never killed it, never even defeated it. This is it’s revenge. It took my brother because we dared to challenge it.“  
„Greg.“ With a soft sigh Dipper put the laptop away. „Even if it is, there surely is some way to get your brother back.“  
„And if there isn’t?“ Greg hugged his knees. „Then all this was for nothing. A fool’s errand. I’m probably just wasting your’s and everyone’s time.“  
Not knowing how to comfort the other, Dipper simply sat down next to him. „Did I tell you about that time I got possessed?“   
Greg’s head shot up in surprise. „What?“  
With a nervous laugh Dipper continued. „Mabel and I were 12 and we had a little bit of an… issue with a demon. He tricked me and took control of my body.“  
„How did you get rid of him?“  
„By Mabel wrecking my stamina until he got so annoyed by my noodle legs that he just left.“  
Despite himself Greg laughed at that. „I can see her doing that.“ Having spent almost two months in the shelter of the shack now, Greg had almost become a part of this weird family. They decided never to mention the time Mabel’s friends made him go on a blind date. With Mabel. Except the part with the burning cactus, that always made everyone laugh.  
„We’ll find your brother. And we’ll bring him back. I promise.“


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends!  
> Great news, I got a dear friend of mine to beta read this, so this should all be a lot smoother to read! Second, strap in for the angst, we gotta get through that before we can come to the fluff  
> Hope you enjoy it and I would love to hear what you think!

„I hate this.“ Greg stated.   
„You literally died to see your brother.“ Mabel leaned her head to the side. „C’mon, me and Dipper have done worse.“  
Greg slowly raised his head with a horrified expression. „I- I’m not sure if I even want to ask.“  
„You don’t.“ Dipper tuned in as he finished drawing the last details on the floor. Hands on his hips he observed the symbol. How do you summon an Entity that has never been summoned before? You break into libraries and hack into secret networks to find out how spells and summons were originally created, that’s how. In the end it had taken another few weeks. The heat of summer had long since faded and the first red leaves scattered on the forest floor.  
Dipper joined the other two. „That should do it.“ He took the notepad out of Mabel’s hands, then turned to Greg. „Are you ready?“  
„I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for this.“  
„Good enough for me.“ Dipper pushed the other two back a few feet to create as much of a safe space as possible. Supernatural barriers were good and all, but nothing satisfied the human brain more than visible distance. And in worst case they could make a break for the Shack with the golf cart. Except then they’d unleashed a powerful Being upon the town. Well… it wouldn’t even be the first time they did that. No one talked about Weirdmargeddon anymore. Probably for the better.  
Dipper took a deep breath and begin reciting the spell. A shudder ran through the leaves, a shiver through the ground. The spell was working. As Dipper continued to read, he had to raise his voice to hear it over the wind growing steadily stronger. Trees began to groan, leaves tossed through the air, the sky seemed to darken.   
Mabel put a comforting hand on Greg's arm who'd gone as white as a sheet. "I don't think this is a good i-"  
He did not have time to finish his sentence as a deafening thunder roared all around them. Then suddenly it was quiet.   
Hesitantly they all looked to the summoning site, where it seemed a ball of shadow had appeared.   
The shadow shifted; changed shape slowly and raised it's head as antlers seemed to sprout out of it. Suddenly it coughed, a sound too human to originate from this shadow.  
"What have you done?" The wind whispered, horrified, before all hell broke loose.   
The Beast twitched violently, then gave a roar that made them shudder to their bones. Branches shot out of the trees surrounding them. Vines with thorns crept over the forest floor.   
"Mabel, now!" Dipper yelled.   
Immediately his sister pushed the only button on the remote she was holding. Ford had helped them set up the trap, but refused to actually be there. The whole thing with Bill had made him more wary than he dared to admit.   
It didn't even take a second for the chains buried under the undergrowth to retract with a hissing sound. The next thing they heard was the Beast roaring again, this time more in pain than in anger. It was on it's knees, arms locked tight to its sides while the chains held him there.   
For a few moments they all just watched in silent horror as the figure twitched and spasmed until all it's strength left it; until all that was left was a panting boy slumped into himself.   
Greg was the first to dare to speak. "Wirt." He whispered.  
He lifted his head and looked at his baby brother with tear streaked eyes. A choked sob escaped his throat. "Greg." Then a relieved sigh and he slumped back. "Say hi to mom and Harry for me, won't you?" With a final sob his form went totally limp.  
Immediately Dipper and Mabel approached quickly but cautiously. There was no movement except the soft breath in his chest.   
"He's fine." Mabel announced after a moment of examination. "But we better keep him chained. I doubt that the Beast would leave him just like that."   
Greg nodded wordlessly and simply stood there watching his brother while the other two set up a tarp to shelter him from the elements.  
"We can't leave him alone, we should have shifts to watch him." Dipper finally said.  
"I want to do it." Greg immediately answered without taking his eyes off his brother.   
The twins shared an uneasy look, but both shrugged eventually. "I don't see why not. But contact us immediately should something happen and under no circumstances approach him more than necessary, can you do that?“ Dipper looked over to Greg again.   
He nodded, finally looking back at the teens. "I won't let anything harm him ever again."

 

Greg spent the next eight hours sitting quietly in a camp chair somewhere in the forest, just barely out of reach from his brother. The thought filled him with ecstasy, but the harsh reality crushed it each time. He might be here now, but it seemed this just wasn't him. The Beast seemed to have taken him as a host, only allowing Wirt to emerge briefly, if he even allowed it. Maybe it was just the few times Wirt could fight him off.   
A few hours into his watch Greg had started reading. Better to read than torture himself with the constant sight of his brother, hanging limply in the chains. Suddenly he shifted. Only slightly, but enough to catch Greg's attention.   
Wirt's body spasmed, then went limb again before he slowly raised his head. Two bright eyes opened to the unfamiliar woods. They blinked slowly, observing everything carefully before landing on Greg. Something that could be a smile spread on it's face.   
"Gregory. How long has it been?"  He cooed mockingly.   
"Nineteen years." Greg replied with a stone face. He did not like this voice coming out of his brother.   
The Beast snarled and wriggled in the chains, yet they did not bulge. "Let me go. You cannot cage me!"  
"It seems we already did." Greg stood up.   
The other laughed. "Why don't you do all us of a favor and let me go?  We can all forget about this and move on."   
"I want my brother back."   
The Beast was silent, then something akin to a chuckle left his mouth, along with some sap. "Wirt is long gone. You do know that, don't you?"   
"You're lying! I talked to him! He recognized me!"   
"And how do you know that wasn't me?"  
Greg felt like he'd been punched into the stomach. For a moment he was scared he would choke on his breath. "He knew my dad's name. He told me." Greg knew how desperate he sounded.  
"What makes you think I don't? I'm in his head, boy. I can tell you all your grandparents' names. I can tell you his poems. I can tell you his dying thoughts."  
"Stop it!" Greg yelled and picked up a branch. "Stop talking!" He screamed through tears.   
The Beast merely chuckled. "Go on. Tear your brothers skin. Break his bones. I'm sure he would be delighted!"  
Greg dropped the branch and fell to his knees, crying.

When Dipper came to take the next watch, Greg was a wreck. He sat on the base of a tree, hands over his ears and slightly rocking back and forth, lost somewhere between a panic attack and consciousness.  
At the sight of him Dipper jumped out of the golf cart. "Greg? Greg, buddy, can you hear me?" There was no response, so Dipper carefully moved closer. "Greg, I'm going to touch your shoulder now." He said and did so. The other flinched, then slowly released his arms and looked up.  
"Dipper." He sobbed.  
The teen knelt down next to him, hand still on his shoulder. "Can you tell me your name?"  
"Gregory."  
"What day is it today?"  
He thought for a moment. "It's August. The 23th."  
"Good, very good. I will let go of you to get a bottle of water. Do you understand?"  
A hesitant nod.  
Dipper stood up and looked to Wirt, or what should be Wirt. He was awake, looking at him quietly, following every movement with bright eyes. Dipper felt a shudder go down his back. He quickly retrieved the water bottle and hurried back to Greg who seemed to be more conscious. Still, he supported the bottle as the other took small sips.  
"Why didn't you call us?" He asked after making sure Greg had returned to his senses.   
"I... I forgot. He was suddenly talking to me."   
"Wirt?"  
He shook his head. "The Beast."   
Dipper looked to their prisoner who was still watching him intently. "I will call Mabel to come pick you up, there is no way you're driving back."  
"I don't have a driver's licence."  
"Neither do Mabel or I," Dipper chuckled and took out his walkie-talkie.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi friends!  
> Next chapter will probably be delayed a bit since I'll move to my own place very soon. Until then I give you this :D

"I figure that when he blew out the lantern not all of the Beast was destroyed. Part of him must have survived and latched onto the nearest possible host. For all I know, it could've just as easily been Gregory."

Dipper blinked. "Greg was eight."

"I don't think an Entity such as the Beast cares much for age." 

"Oh god, a tiny Beast." Dipper couldn't help but snicker.

"Quite an amusing thought." Ford allowed himself a grin before turning serious again. "We need to find a way to get the Beast out of Wirt." 

"But he said that it's just him in this body. If we exorcise him, all we'll be left with is a corpse!"

"And you're just going to believe everything a demon tells you?" Ford looked down at his nephew. Unlike Mabel, Dipper had yet to receive his growth spurts. As if she needed more fuel to add to the 'Alpha Twin' fire.

Almost embarrassed Dipper looked at his feet. "Is there a way to find out if he's lying?"

"There have been attempts to make a demon lie detector... But in our chase a brief banishment of the possessing creature should suffice."

"So, if we can push the Beast out of Wirt, we can see if he's still in there?"

"In theory, yes. I will go back to the Shack to get my equipment. You will keep watch until then.“

"I will." Dipper nodded and looked over to their prisoner. He was still awake, sitting silently, shrouded in shadows.. It was nerve-wracking. Just being observed. The Beast had talked to him only once. It had startled Dipper so much, he'd almost fallen out of his chair.

"Why do you want to save this boy?" The deep rumbling voice had cut through the silence. 

Since then, not a sound had come from him. Dipper couldn't even hear him breath or shift in his chains; as if he could simply cut out all of the sounds around him.

A good question indeed. Why did he even want to save him? He didn't know him. He might have come to know his brother, but the impressions of a younger sibling and the actual person was a big difference. He had no idea who Wirt was. All he knew were stories.

 

It wasn't until two days later that they finally figured out the spell to speak to the host. Various other attempts had ended in a lot of screaming and a lot of threats. Mostly coming from the Beast who seemed to grow frustrated by his ongoing capture. A feature quite uncharacteristic as Greg pointed out.

As Ford finished the last word, the Beast suddenly collapsed into himself. There was silence for a moment, before he jerked and a strangled gasp escaped his mouth as his head shot up again. Brown eyes, wide with panic looked at them. 

"W-What happened? Who are you? Where's Greg?" He stuttered, not quite knowing where to look. 

Mabel immediately sprung into action. "Your brother is safe, we're here on his behalf. We think the Beast possessed you, but we need to find a way to get rid of him. What is the last thing you remember?"

Clearly overwhelmed Wirt blinked at her before finding his voice again. "We left the woods. I dragged Greg ashore. Then it got cold. I don't remember..." He started crying.

"Hey, hey buddy, it's alright. We want to help you. Tell me, is there anything else you know about the Beast?" Mabel put a supporting hand on his shoulder.

"H-He was in my head. I heard his voice. Then there was just... nothing. Nothing." 

"Have you ever heard of the Guardian of the Unknown?"

Wirt was silent for a moment, then raised his head. "I... I heard him. The Guardian, he was gentle. He sang me back to sleep when I woke up."

Mabel looked back to her brother who was writing everything down fiercely(quickly). "But it wasn't you. You were not in control of the Guardian?"

"No... I don't think... I don't remember." Wirt sobbed and shivered. When he looked up again, black sap leaked out of his eyes. "Don't let him take me again. Please." He pleaded. "I'm scared." 

The pain in his voice hurt Mabel's heart. He was really scared, this was no trick. They boy before them was so confused, so frightened. She moved to wrap her arms around him, to hold him tight, to tell him everything would be alright. 

However, just as she moved closer, he suddenly spasmed, a gurgling sound coming from his throat. Then her hands felt  freezing and an invisible force knocked her backwards on the ground. A terrifying scream roared through the trees as the Beast awoke.

Immediately Dipper rushed towards his sister, to pull her out of harms way. Branches yanked out of the ground, thorns shooting towards the sky. "Mabel, watch out!" Dipper shouted, but it was already too late. In the midst of the Beast fury, he lost sight of her. The next thing he knew was a scream. Human. Female. Mabel. 

Gritting his teeth in rage, Dipper stumbled towards the wall of thorns, but was stopped by Ford holding him back. "Get back." he ordered. As fierce as his voice was, Dipper could hear the fear. 

A laser blast tore through the bushes, setting them ablaze. In response, the Beast laughed. "I am the forest, you are powerless in my domain!"  

The trees bent and groaned. The wind howling in anger. 

Then, the chains snapped.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear guys, there will be fluff and pinescone in this!! ...at some point   
> Hey, want to know a fun fact I learned while researching for this chapter? When giving someone cpr, you will break their ribs. Fun :D

Dipper never thought he'd say it. Not in a million years. "I miss Bill." He stated while looking out of the window with furrowed brows. Bill might've been responsible for Weridmargeddon, but he'd been loud and obnoxious always made his presence known. 

Now they had the Beast on the loose, somewhere out in these woods. They had no idea where he could possibly be or what he was up to.

"Is that the demon you told me about?" Greg looked at him. He was so exhausted. 

"Yeah. While he was out and about everything turned weird. I don't know, for some reason I expected something similar. Not this." He gestured outside to the eerily quiet forest. 

Footsteps made them both look up as Ford and Stan entered the kitchen. They were carrying laser guns. 

Neither of the younger males said anything, just shared a look of defeat before looking at their folded hands on the desk. 

"Gregory." Ford addressed him. "You know we tried what we could."

"I know." Greg whispered, rapidly blinking tears away. 

"I cannot put Wirt's life above my niece and and nephew's." 

"I understand." Greg stood up. "I want to come too."

Ford assessed him for a moment, then pulled out a spare gun. "Do not get in my way." He warned as he handed it to Greg who took it with a grim expression.

"I want to kill him." 

Hesitantly Dipper stood up. "Then I'll come too." 

"No." Was the immediate response from both his Uncles, but if Dipper had learned one thing from them, it was to stand up for himself. 

"That was not a request." He held out a hand.

After a few moments of awkward silence Ford sighed and pulled out another gun. Who knew just how many he had hidden under that coat?

"This it's your own choice." Ford said sternly before handing it to him. "I will not answer to your parents." 

"Since when was that an option?" Dipper grabbed the gun. It wasn't like their parents were informed about anything they did. To their knowledge, their children were ordinary Gravity Falls High Schoolers.

"I have fused the bullets with disabling magic. Before we try to take him down, maybe try to just stun him." Ford explained.

"Your niece is in danger and you think about experiments?" Stan hissed at him. 

"All I'm saying is that maybe we can still get the Beast out of Wirt."

"Can we go?" Greg was already at the door. His face was blank, his hand tight around the gun. Something about his stance told Dipper that this was not the first time Greg had handled a weapon. 

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and followed the small group outside, into the dark forest.

 

The deeper they headed into the forest, the darker it seemed to get. Even though the sun was still high above them, it felt as if something absorbed all its light and warmth. Soon they walked in night-like darkness. Greg at the front, Dipper in the middle and his uncles at the back. It was an unspoken agreement to keep the youngest in the safest spot. 

"Don't make any light. Look for his eyes." Greg whispered. Those eyes that would haunt his dreams forever. Always just out of sight, stalking in absolute silence. 

Suddenly there was a yelp and Stan fired a shot. Laughter drifted in the wind.

"Mabel!" Dipper exclaimed as he spotted his sister in the shadows. Immediately everyone turned and ran after him. 

It was indeed Mabel, leaning against a tree, branches wrapped around her body. While the Pines family quickly worked on ripping it away, Greg stood and watched like paralyzed. This was all his fault. He had brought this upon them. If only he'd let it go. If only he had never pursued this silly hope. Breathing became difficult, he felt his throat closing. A memory of leaves closing it, branches constricting his body. He had been so selfish, blindly chasing after his hopes, not once thinking about the consequences he could bring upon those around him. 

"Greg!" A slap made him snap out of his panic. He blinked and saw Stanley right in front of him. They had liberated Mabel from the vines, but she was still out of it, her arm bound tight to her body. She was hurt. Oh God, she was hurt because of him. 

"Greg." Stan took a step back, then another and suddenly he felt a hand creep on his shoulder. It was cold and hard, wood. The grip was firm, the Beast would not let him go again. 

In wordless horror the Pines watched roots slowly wrap around Gregs feet and up his legs.

"It's okay." Greg breathed in surrender. "Go." He'd run from this fate his entire life. His brother had suffered because he had run. So many people had suffered because he had run and never looked back. If only he had turned into a tree back then. None of this would have ever happened. 

"No way." Dipper raised his gun and aimed at the Beast. "Let him go." 

"You should listen to him. Before worse things happen." The Beast insisted. 

"No." Stan agreed with Dipper. "You hurt my niece. I will hurt you." 

The Beast leaned its head to the side. "You cannot hurt me."

"You want to chance it?" Stan put his finger on the trigger.

For a moment the Beast actually seemed to hesitate, but then the grip on Greg's shoulder tightened and the vines kept growing. 

"No." A voice coughed and suddenly the Beast jerked backwards. 

"How dare yo-" 

"No!" 

"Boy, you canno-"

"No!"

"We had a dea-" The Beast screeched and spasmed, his hand leaving Greg's shoulder.

 

"Spirit of the forest

Master of the trees

I once made a promise

My soul sways in the breeze

 

Your words were deceiving

Promised to keep him safe

Now I am grieving

Against you I must chafe

 

I demand my release

Served you well

Master of the trees

I bid you farewell

 

Spirit of the forest

Your rule has ceased

The souls scream in chorus

I banish you, Beast" 

 

An agonizing scream echoed through the trees and suddenly the darkness was gone. A human boy fell to the ground. It took a second for everyone to realize what had just happened, then Greg tore himself free and dropped to his knees next to his brother. "He... He's not breathing." He cried. "He's not breathing!" 

Immediately Dipper sprung into action, dropping down next to the unconcious boy, putting an ear to his cheast. "No heartbeart. Below average body temperature. Not quite gone yet." He concluded after a few moments of tense silence. Without hesitation Dipper put his joined hands on the others ribs, before bringing them down in a rhytmic motion. The sickening sound of cracking echoed through the forest before Dipper leaned down and breathed air into the other's lungs. It took a few repetitions before the boy finally reacted.

His body spasmed and he started coughing violently. Not wasting a second Dipper pulled him upright and turned his front to the ground, where Wirt proceeded to vomit up water, algea and pieces of food in various states of digestion, clawing onto Dippers arm for any kind of support.

The minutes felt like agony until he finally drew a breath, then another and another until he simply passed into blissful oblivion.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M ALIVE ...somewhat at least  
> Please enjoy this chapter and as always major kudos to my wonderful beta reader Ari for never giving up on me <3

Regaining consciousness was like swimming through pudding. Agonizing, slow, and almost too exhausting to ever reach the surface.

 Wirt first noticed the familiar smell of wood and autumn rain. Then, the dull pain in his chest and raw throat. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around. He was on a couch in an unfamiliar room. There was a man sleeping in a big armchair. He seemed familiar, but only slightly. A face seen once upon a dream. 

Before Wirt could think further he heard approaching footsteps and voices. 

„-in a stage of absolute standstill. He did not age, he did not consume any food or water, probably didn’t even breathe.“ The door opened and Wirt looked at an older man and a teenager.

They both paused when they saw him, then in unison closed the door and approached. 

„H-hey, I’m sorry. I di-don’t know where I am. I’m-„ Wirt scrambled up despite the pain and ended up in a semi-sitting position.

„Wirt Collins.“ The older man stated and approached.

„It-It’s Wren, actually-„

The man knelt down next to him. „How do you feel?“

„Oh… okay? I guess?“

The teenager slightly pushed the man aside. „Grunkle Ford, maybe let me do this.“, he said, then faced Wirt.

 „I’m sorry, he can be a bit overwhelming. I’m Dipper.“ He offered his hand with a kind smile. 

„Wirt. But I think you know that one already…“ He hesitantly shook the other's hand. 

„Alright, Wirt, there is a lot to explain here, but please-„

„Wirt!“ Dipper was interrupted by the man in the armchair basically leaping towards him before locking him into a crushing embrace. He was crying. Oh god, what was going on?

„Greg, maybe let me explain first.“ Dipper interrupted gently.

„Greg?“ This man had the same name as his little brother. Surely that was just a coincidence, right? Greg was so much younger than Wirt. This man was double his age. 

„Of course, I’m sorry.“ This Greg said and stepped back, wiping tears from his face. He seemed happy, absolutely beaming just looking at him. This was more than a little uncomfortable. 

„Okay, as I said.“ Dipper tried again. „There is a lot to explain, just keep an open mind and let me finish before freaking out, okay?“

Wirt could only laugh nervously. What the hell was going on?!

„Let’s start simple, what’s the last thing you remember?“ The oldest man, Ford, asked.

„Oh… Me and my brother, we were out on Halloween. The police caught us and some others in the cemetery and we made a break for it over the wall. Then there was this train and… we were falling. That’s about all.“

The teenager and older man, Dipper and Ford, exchanged a look that didn’t exactly convey optimism. Ford looked back at Wirt. „What year?“

„Excuse me?“

„What year was that Halloween you remember?“

„’98?“ What kind of question was that supposed to be?

The two looked at each other again and Greg stepped forward. „Do you remember the Unknown?“

„Look, I really don’t know what’s going on. If you could just tell me how to get home I’ll get out of your hair. I really don’t want any trouble.“

„Oh boy, you’re way past trouble.“ Ford mumbled and took out a notebook to write something down. „Long story short, you were possessed by a Guardian of the afterlife, it is currently 2017 and this is your younger brother who spent the last nineteen years looking for you.“

„Wha-„ Wirt felt like he’d been hit by a brick. Nineteen years He’d been out for nineteen years? And this was supposed to be his baby brother? Tiny chubby Greg in his thirties? Oh god, he’d been possessed? How did he get possessed? What had happened to his mother? What had happened to his father? Did he even care? What about Greg’s father? 

„Wirt!“ A firm hand on his shoulder called him back to reality and he suddenly realized he’d started hyperventilating. „I need you to take deep breaths. It’s all alright. You’re safe.“ It was Dipper that spoke to him in a soft voice and managed to calm him down. 

„Maybe we should give him some space.“ Ford suggested after a few moments of silence.

„N-No, I’m okay. Just… a lot of new information.“

„Sou you believe us?“

Wirt nodded silently, looking at his hands. When he looked up, his face was stern. „It was the Beast, wasn’t it?“

Ford and Dipper exchanged a gaze, then both pulled out pens and paper. „What do you remember?“ They said in almost unison.

 

When Wirt was back asleep only four hours later, the Pines and Greg met in the living room to collect and share information. Mabel, despite a broken arm, had texted around town. Despite some overgrown streets and sidewalks, the town itself appeared to have been spared. The main damage had been done to the forest. From where they had found the Best, almost two miles in circumference, the woods were devastated. Trees broken and torn, thorns and thickets twisting, gaping chasms and rotting carcasses. Stan had been out there, taking pictures and overviewing the general damage.

„Wirt truly seemed to have banished the Beast. No sign of him in over 24 hours. I should say it’s safe to assume he is gone for good.“ Ford concluded.

„He banished him with a poem?“ Mabel blinked at the rest of her family.

„Yes, words can hold intense power if put in the right orders and combinations. That’s how spells work.“

„It’s more likely than a demon being scared of rhymes, that’s for sure.“ Dipper chewed on his pen. „But how did he do it? He wasn’t even conscious for most of the time. No one just comes up with a spell right off the bat.“ 

„Wirt could.“ All eyes turned to Greg who had been silent so far. „He used to write poems. Pretty good ones, actually. I snuck his journal with me when I moved out.“

Mabel’s eyes suddenly seemed to double in size. „Your brother writes poems?“

„Mabel, no.“ Was the quick response from Dipper. „This is not the time!“

„But Dipper, he writes poems!“

„Your brother is right, Mabel.“ Ford looked to Greg. „We would like for your brother to stay for a while longer. Do you have a place to return to?“

Greg looked at his hands on the table. „Only my parents’. I last spoke to them years ago.“

„Look buddy, we hate this too, but your brother's mental state is very delicate right now. Maybe just keeping you out of the picture makes it a bit easier.“ Mabel pat him on the shoulder. 

„I could rent a room somewhere in town? That way I’ll be close. Just in case.“ Greg suggested, trying to look back at all the eyes on him at once. „I really do not want to go back to my parents’.“ He admitted weakly, looking back down. „Not without Wirt.“

There was a short silence, before Dipper furiously started clicking the pen in his hand. „We should let him stay. If Wirt gets too overwhelmed, we have someone close to him. Sure, it’s not the same as he remembers, but it’s his family.“ 

„Gee, fine, he can have broom closet. But that’s all the room we got, no more strays!“ Stan sighed. They were seriously running out of room in the Shack to accommodate everyone. Not to mention no one knew when Soos and Melody would be back from their grand world tour.

Settled on the new room issue, they started discussing how to go on from here. They had a previously possessed teenager to reintroduce to society after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I literally just noticed I totally forgot Soos, please forgive me .-.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi my dudes! So... long story short, I spent the last two weeks in the hospital. I'm all better now though and you finally get a new chapter!

Dipper awoke to the smell of pancakes. Groaning he reached over to check his phone. It was 4 am, who was making pancakes at 4 am? Who, in their right mind, would even be awake, not to mention hungry at this ungodly hour? 

Of course he had his fair share of midnight snacks, but midnight snacks were entirely different from 4 am pancakes. 

Dipper briefly debated whether to stay in bed or solve the pancake mystery. In the end, his curiousity got the better of him and he stood up with a heavy sigh. Who knew, maybe he could freeload some pancakes. 

Walking down the stairs, Dipper noticed the odd silence. The only sounds drifting through the air were the soft sizzle of the pan on the stove. That already ruled out Mabel and Stan. Was Ford making pancakes? Since when did Ford make pancakes? 

Dipper froze in the doorway to the kitchen. It was Wirt. Wirt was making pancakes at 4 amin their kitchen. He was wearing a baggy sweater and pants along with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Deeply focused on the stove he hardly noticed Dipper and flipped a pancake in the air almost effortlessly. It landed back in the pan and sizzled quietly, while Wirt worked on carefully spreading cheese slices on the cooked side. 

Dipper could only stare in awe as the cheese slowly melted into delicious goodness and Wirt folded the pancake once then put it on the assigned plate standing next to him. His movements seemed almost rythmic, hands flowing from the batter back to the pan, to the plate and back. Dipper must've watched him make half a dozen pancakes before suddenly realized how awkward his staring must be. Oh god, if Wirt saw him... 

Quickly he hid behind the wall until he was sure his blush had subsided. Taking a deep breath Dipper walked back into the door frame, this time carefully knocking to announce his presence. 

The knock was answered by a yelp as Wirt was suddenly torn from his routine. He spun around, holding a ladle full of pancake batter in front of him. Unfortunately, he had not used Ford's spinproof ladle and now there was pancake batter all over the kitchen. 

In stunned silence, the two boys stood in front of each other until Wirt suddenly panicked. "Oh my god, oh my god, are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't hear you, I was so startled. I didn't want to wake anyone, but I was so hungry and somehow pancakes seemed like the best thing to do. I really hope you don't mind. I-"

"Dude." Dipper suddenly laughed, scraping some batter from his cheek. "It's okay, I just wanted to see if I could freeload some."

Wirt still seemed a little uncomfortable, but at least he lowered his makeshift weapon. With hot cheeks he looked to the ground and mumbled: "'m sorry." 

Dipper found himself smiling. "Let's clean up this mess and eat some pancakes."

 

It turned out bonding over pancakes in the early morning was a great way to get to know somebody. 

"...And that was the time I was a pig for about two minutes." Dipper concluded his story. 

Wirt chuckled and spread some more jam on his pancake. "It seems like Greg really did come to the right place. I always knew he would be smart when he grew up." 

"You mean he wasn't very bright as a kid?"

"I had to call the ambulance once because he got stuck in the dishwasher. Said he wanted to feel like a plate."

Dipper almost choked on the food, but quickly caught himself. 

"No, Greg was never the smartest growing up. At least as far as I knew." Suddenly looking tired, Wirt turned his eyes outside to where the sky started to brighten. "I..." With a heavy sigh he turned back to his companion. "I lost almost two decades. This world is unfamiliar to me, my little brother is an adult, my family thinks I'm _dead_." Wirt took a deep breath. 

"Hey, it's okay." Dipper carefully put his hand on Wirt's arm. "This is a lot, I know, let's just take care of one thing at a time." 

"Okay, okay." With another deep breath he got up and started collecting the dishes. "I'm actually starting to get tired again, I think I will sleep some more."

"Let me, you go back and rest." Dipper smiled and took the dishes from the others hands.

Wirt hesitated. "But I made all this mess..."

"Mess?" Dipper laughed. "You should see the kitchen after my sister is done with it. You didn't even spill the flour!" 

"Your sister sounds like... a lot." 

"She sure is. Now go back to bed, I can handle this." Dipper said with a wink and began cleaning the dishes. 

It wasn't until Wirt had shuffled out of the room with a "Thank you." that he even realized he had winked. Immediately feeling his face heat up, Dipper almost dropped the plate he was holding. What was he doing? He didn't know the guy! Sure he seemed alright as far as first impressions went, but a wink? Maybe he simply was more tired than he realized, Dipper concluded as he put the last cuttlery away and shuffled back to the attic for some more sleep.


End file.
